blinkbox blog: Movie blog & reviews

I went to a screening of Eagle Eye at the BFI IMAX at the end of last week, and this is what I thought about the whole shebang.

I should start by saying that this isn’t the type of movie you should watch if you’re a big fan of plot, once you’ve thrown your sophisticated movie viewer hat out of the window, then we can begin.
Eagle Eye is a movie that Mr Bruckheimer himself would have been proud to produce and DJ Caruso seems like he might be in training to give Michael Bay a run for his money. It is also the exact kind of movie you should see on IMAX, all giant explosions and huge sounds and epic global shots.
The plot is a mash up of conspiracy thriller and cyber terrorism action movie, with a pinch of ghost in the machine,you know – for good measure.
Shia LaBeouf plays an underachieving twin, and when the good one dies in an accident ceeeeeraaaaazy stuff starts to happen in his life, like someone delivers a tonne of guns and bomb equipment to his apartment and deposits hundreds of thousands of dollars in his checking account. Cue an anonymous phone call giving him instructions on how to escape the FBI.
Across town a similar thing happens to Michelle Monaghan, but her motivation is her kidnapped son. Soon the two are embroiled in a high speed chase across the country (admittedly, the bit in the wrecking yard is pretty impressive, like mousetrap, but with actual cars) ending up (as all conspiracies do) in D.C.
That’s as far as I’m going with the plot, don’t want to ruin any of the actiontastic moments for you, suffice to say that if you’re a fan of every single action/conspiracy movie convention ever put on the screen, then you so won’t be disappointed.

Unless you’ve been living in a cave without broadband for the last month or so, then you’ve probably noticed some press for Eagle Eye – DJ Caruso’s new conspiracy thriller that sees him reunited with the young and bankable Shia LaBeouf.

Two strangers (LaBeouf and Monaghan) are thrown together by a mysterious phone call, and somehow become victims of a big brother-esque /enemy of the state conspiracy. We put it on on our AUTUMN/FALL MUST SEE MOVIES list. It’s the kind of movie that you HAVE to see on the big screen, all giant and fast paced and action packed. The good news for you is…

WE HAVE 2 PAIRS OF TICKETS TO GIVE AWAY TO THE BFI IMAX LONDON PREVIEW ON OCTOBER 16th!

That’s not just the big screen, that’s the biggest screeen in Britain, plus awesome sound quality to boot. We heart Imax.

Yes, our friends at the BFI have come through for us again, and all you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is Email us your name, address and contact details to eagle-eye@blinkbox.com (we won’t lie, witty subject lines won’t harm your chances) before next Monday 13th October. Good luck!

Eagle Eye will be showing at the BFI IMAX between 17th October and 11th November.

It’s that time of year again folks, it turned October, the signifier that fall or autumn (depending on where you live) is definitely upon us. I know how awesome the fall schedule is, but lets not forget about the movies! On the rare occasions that you do decide to leave the house this season, these are the movies you should be making the effort to see… (oh, and the ones with links have trailers on blinkBox, get watching)

Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist

Just don’t call it Juno. Another teen literary movie, but this time with a slightly indie-r edge, written by Rachel Coen and David Levithan. It’s a one night can change everything teen movie, with a hipper than pitchfork soundtrack and Michael Cera to its name. It’s our pick for the movie everyone will love to hate a week after opening this season.

Max Payne

The one thing that Hollywood loves almost as much as comic books is computer games. Especially computer games with a supernatural element. Enter Max Payne. Mark Wahlberg is the eponymous protagonist hellbent on revenge after the slaughter of his family, this (as is always the way) leads him to some dark, dark places where he is forced to battle some “un-natural” elements. Ooohhh.

Milk

Gus Van Sant is capable of producing some awe inspiring masterpieces, as well as taking things a little bit too far. This biopic of Harvey Milk (the first openly gay politician elected into office) starring Sean Penn looks set to fall in the former category. Can anyone say Oscar buzz?

Changeling

Anything that Clint Eastwood directs is automatically in the Oscar race, that’s just how it works. Add Angelina Jolie and John Malkovich and a script based on a true story and what have you got? Worth going to see if only because everyone will be talking about this come february, and there’s nothing worse than not having an opinion.

The Day the Earth Stood Still

At last! A way to get your season science fiction fix, and your Keanu needs met all in one movie. A remake of the 1951 sci-fi classic, with Mr Reeves, Jennifer Connolly (and here’s the best part JOHN CLEESE!) looks set to be the first giant movie of the holiday season. It’s probably worth watching the original first, just so you can feel a little superior to all the Keanu fans… oh, and because it’s an amazing movie.

Twilight

Every single teenage girl (and me) in the world can’t be wrong, now can we? Get on board the vampire train as the international best-seller comes to the big screen. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke (of 13 fame) it’s the story of a mortal and a vampire that fall in love and all that ensues.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The crowd is still divided over Zodiac, but I am of the opinion that David Fincher doesn’t make bad movies. Adapted from an F.Scott Fitzgerald short comes the tale of the boy born old who aged backwards. Trailer 2 has just been released and it looks pretty incredible. Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett star.

The Brothers Bloom

From the director of 2005’s fantastic high school noir Brick, comes The Brothers Bloom, a story of con-men brothers adept at swindling millionaires out of their millions. The trailer comes off as more “quirky” than “edgy” but Rachel Weisz, Mark Ruffalo and Adrien Brody are all 3 indie darlings, so I’m keeping and open and slightly excited mind about this one.

Eagle Eye

There are those that are calling this Eagle Eyemy of the State, it’s true that DJ Caruso may not be a stranger to the cries of plagiarism, last years Disturbia being placed squarely in the good but not original camp. But really, who cares? Is mainstream America where you go for originality? Uh uh, but it is home of the biggest explosions, the best chases and the best edge of your seat moments. This movie looks set to have these aplenty, and isn’t that the point?

Fast & The Furious

The original cast returns – can it be true? And it’s not because people’s careers weren’t going the way they’d planned. At all. That aside, if it’s super high octane action that you’re looking for this Winter then Hi! you’ve found your movie.

Now that summer is well and truly over and autumnal evenings are drawing in, it’s time to put away the popcorn sweet blockbusters of summer and take a bite of something more… substantial. It’s lucky then that you have us to help you out.

Some of you (probably the ones that went to film school) may be familiar with the work of Terence Davies, much revered and (super English) film maker/dramatist. He releases his latest film Of Time and the City (watch the trailer on blinkbox) at the end of this month – a study in love for his hometown Liverpool, it received rave reviews after its Cannes Premiere. Our favourite friends at the BFI are spreading the Davies love, and have given us some amazing prizes that we in turn, will give to you. They are as follows:

• 2 first prizes of a set of tickets to the absolute first preview of Time and the City at the Curzon, Soho on 26th October 2008 at 2pm and a copy of the BFI book Distant Lives, Still Voices, a study of Davies film written by Paul Farley
• a runner up prize of a Terence Davies DVD goodie bag – including Distant Voices, Still Lives, The Long Day Closes & The Terence Davies Trilogy.

All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is email us your NAME, ADDRESS and CONTACT DETAILS to timeandthecity@blinkbox.com.

Should you not win tickets, it’s still well worth your while to go and see Of Time and the City, on Oct 30/31st there are special screenings of the film at various locations around the country, followed by a Q&A with the director.

Thursday 30th October: Be among the first to see Of Time and the City in an exclusive preview screening followed by a live satellite Q&A at the following cinemas:

Cambridge, Arts Picturehouse (host venue); Bath, Little Theatre Cinema; Edinburgh, Cameo Picturehouse; Exeter, Picturehouse; Lancaster, The Dukes; London, The Ritzy; Greenwich Picturehouse; The Everyman Cinema Club; Newcastle, Tyneside Cinema; Norwich, Cinema City; Oxford, Phoenix Picturehouse; Southampton, Harbour Lights Picturehouse; York, City Screen Picturehouse

Friday 31st October: London, Curzon Soho; Sat 1 November: London, Gate Picturehouse; Sun 2 November: London, BFI Southbank; Tue 4 November: London, Phoenix East Finchley;Thurs 6 November: Liverpool, Picturehouse at FACT; Fri 7 November: Sheffield, Documentary Festival

Visit www.bfi.org.uk/releases for updated news and listings.

Hurrah!
Someone eventually decided to release the Breakfast Club on DVD with some extras (and by extras I mean, MORE than the trailer) It comes as part of the John Hughes High School Yearbook collection (which also features 16 Candles and Weird Science – why oh WHY does everyone always forget about Some Kind Of Wonderful?) and has a whole extra disc of features, including a MULTI-PART documentary. OMG. I don’t really know what to do with the information that this actually exists.

I decided this was as good a reason as any to write a review and remind people they haven’t watched it in a while. Sounds simple non? The problem I have is two-fold. 1) Writing a review of the Breakfast Club – even if you’ve never witnessed it, you know what it’s about surely? and 2) Me writing a review of the Breakfast Club is akin to Kermode writing a review of the Exorcist, you know? I’ve read pretty much every text available on that movie, and known it by heart since I was a teen, a paragraph just isn’t going to cut it for me.

With a paragraph I’ll never get to mention how Ally Sheedy’s basketcase Alison, once transformed by Claire in her brown boots looks horribly uncomfortable kissing the jock, and wonder whether Stokely from The Faculty in the exact same situation is an homage or a similar mistake. I won’t get to talk about how watching the Breakfast Club for the first time as an adult is doing it the biggest dis-service one can do a movie. Or how the Breakfast Club literally defined a generation in the way that only film (and maybe only film in the 80s) could. I can’t wonder what the end to Benders joke that we never get to hear ‘cos he falls through the ceiling and creates a ruckus… but I will get to go home later and watch the movie and remember all the million reasons it holds a special place in the hearts of me and mostly everyone I’ve ever met.

You too can (re) watch it and relive your happiest years  it’s available  here on blinkbox.com

Put a little Hughes back in your heart!